Following January's 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Dingri county of the Xizang autonomous region, over 21,400 households in 681 villages are in need of reconstruction, with 47 villages requiring complete rebuilding, according to an assessment by the regional department of housing and urban-rural development, Xizang Daily reported.

The department has formed a post-disaster recovery and reconstruction planning and design guidance working group stationed in Shigatse to facilitate the reconstruction efforts. This group collaborates closely with the front-line command headquarters to oversee the reconstruction work.

LHASA -- Two months after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Dingri county, home to the northern base camp of the world's highest peak, Mount Qomolangma, thousands of children were able to return to class to start the new semester, as builders raced against time in conducting reconstruction work.

Students from the 79 schools affected by the earthquake resumed classes as scheduled on Wednesday, together with all other students in the city of Shigatse, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region.

These 79 schools in the county suffered various degrees of damage during the quake, which claimed 126 lives back in January. Among these, 76 schools have met safety standards after being repaired and reinforced.

The rebuilding of eight villages severely affected by the 6.8 magnitude earthquake in the Xizang autonomous region started on Monday, marking the start of a recovery effort aimed at relocating over 120,000 residents into new homes by the end of this year.

The launch ceremony was held in Gurum village of Dingri county in the city of Shigatse following over a month of preparations, including debris clearance, risk assessment and housing designs.

LHASA -- The Mount Qomolangma scenic area reopened to the public on Saturday after a temporary closure following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake which hit Dingri county, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, in January 2025.

As of 8 am, a total of eight vehicles carrying 19 visitors had entered the scenic area. Yang Bo, a tourist from Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, was the first to enter the area on Saturday.

"I waited in Dingri county last night for its reopening, and I was so excited that I finally got to see Mount Qomolangma," he said.

More than a month after a devastating earthquake struck her home county on Jan 7, Kelsang Drolma, a village official in the Xizang autonomous region, still recalls the intense, sleepless nights spent racing against time to relocate villagers and minimize losses.

The magnitude-6.8 earthquake claimed 126 lives and affected multiple areas, including Chukhu village in Mangphu township, Lhaze county, where Kelsang Drolma has worked tirelessly to help residents recover.

The local government and education department in Dingri county of the Xizang autonomous region have been working hard to ensure that schools in quake-affected areas can resume classes as scheduled for the upcoming spring semester in 2025, Xinhua News Agency reported.

In the wake of the recent 6.8-magnitude earthquake, the county has formulated and implemented a comprehensive resettlement plan for affected schools to provide a safe and suitable environment, according to recent statements from the education bureau in Dingri.

After the quake, authorities conducted a thorough assessment of the safety of school buildings at three primary schools and 10 kindergartens, which showed three primary schools had potential safety hazards. Thus, over 1,400 students from these schools were transferred to study at the county seat.

In early January, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri county in the city of Shigatse, claiming 126 lives and leveling thousands of houses. Many surrounding counties, including Lnaze, were also affected.

A series of relief actions have been carried out rapidly in the quake-hit areas. Normal life has been restored at resettlement sites with temporary housing, water and electricity supply, as well as access to phone and internet services.

LHASA - Over 7,000 makeshift houses have been set up since an earthquake jolted Dingri county in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region in early January, wrapping up construction of transitional housing for the affected people, local authorities said Friday.

According to the local disaster relief headquarters, the county has set up 7,733 makeshift houses and 9,941 tents, providing shelters for 47,787 affected residents.

A truck loaded with supplies navigated the winding roads of the Xizang autonomous region, stopping in village after village in Lhaze county to distribute much-needed aid following the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck on Jan 7.

The truck was part of a grassroots effort led by a group of Tibetan college students, all around 20 years old, from Dranang county in Lhokha city, Xizang, studying at universities across China.

BEIJING, -- After a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Southwest China's Xizang earlier this month, two categories of drones were among the first "rescuers" to arrive at the epicenter.

While Wing Loong-2H, a large fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), flew over a vast expanse of hard-to-access areas in search of toppled houses and trapped people, smaller multi-rotor drones were activated to conduct dragnet searches, deliver supplies and shine torchlight to assist overnight rescue efforts.

The rescue operation saw 407 trapped individuals taken to safety within 24 hours after the quake occurred on the morning of Jan 7. In total, this earthquake killed 126 people and left 337 others injured.

The disaster relief work in quake-hit Dingri county in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, including makeshift houses construction, supply transportation and debris removal work, have been accelerated to better meet the needs and improve the living conditions of the residents.

The survivors of the earthquake in the Xizang autonomous region are being provided with transitional housing, according to Wei Jun, deputy director of the region's emergency management department. Wei spoke at a news conference in the regional capital, Lhasa, on Thursday.

Since the 6.8 magnitude earthquake, 13,000 sets of prefabricated houses have been collected. Of these, 6,135 have already been delivered to the disaster areas, and 5,152 have been set up and are now occupied. The remaining units are in transport, Wei reported.

In the aftermath of the devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Xizang, the swift government action to rescue citizens in villages and Tibetan monasteries has ensured the safety of affected residents and helped preserve cultural heritage amidst the disaster recovery.

Tashi Wangla, the deputy commander of the front command of the Xizang fire and rescue corps for earthquake relief in Shigatse, praised the local government's ability to accurately assess populations in affected areas.

An oxygen supply cabin designed for high-altitude areas has recently been used to relieve discomfort caused by hypoxia in the quake-affected areas of Dingri county of the Xizang autonomous region, China National Radio reported.

Jointly created by the Xizang branch of China Railway Construction Heavy Industry and the Xizang branch of China Anneng Construction Group, the oxygen supply cabin has greatly improved the working conditions for seismic rescue personnel in high-altitude environments and provided much-needed medical assistance spaces for disaster-affected people.

After the 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Dingri one week ago, rescue teams from across the country rushed to the disaster area. The urgency left no time for the seismic rescue team members to adapt to the environment. As a result, some members have experienced altitude sickness.

Victims of the earthquake in Dingri county, Xizang autonomous region, have moved into the more than 3,500 newly-assembled temporary houses, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

On Jan 7, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Dingri, home to the northern base camp of the world's highest peak, Mount Qomolangma, claiming 126 lives.

On Jan 7, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Dingri county, home to the northern base camp of the world's highest peak, Mount Qomolangma, in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region.

Currently, local authorities and rescue teams are busy erecting makeshift houses, allowing displaced residents to move from tents to more earthquake-resistant housing.

LHASA -- A total of 3,614 aftershocks had been detected as of 8 am Tuesday since the 6.8-magnitude earthquake which jolted Dingri county in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region last week, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

Most aftershocks were below 3.0 magnitude, the center revealed.

The two strongest aftershocks, one of 4.9 magnitude and another of 5.0 magnitude, occurred on Monday night -- toppling some houses in the county, local authorities said.

Victims of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Dingri county in Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, are moving from tents to temporary homes with improved living facilities.

Guring village in Dramso township, one of the areas most severely affected, has seen 80 temporary homes constructed just two days after the earthquake struck on Jan 7. All 200 villagers moved into these homes on Sunday, said Tsering Phuntsok, Party secretary of Guring.

Three earthquakes hit Dingri county in China's Xizang autonomous region within a 20-minute period on Monday night, around one week after a destructive 6.8-magnitude quake jolted the county.

This time, a 4.9 magnitude quake was followed by a 5.0 magnitude one, and a 3.1 magnitude tremor followed. The first happened at 8:57 pm followed by one at 8:58 pm and the last one at 9:14 pm, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

A group birthday party for six children was held on Sunday at a resettlement site in the Changkar village of Dingri county, Xizang autonomous region, to provide comfort following the destructive earthquake.

Over 30 children from three nearby resettlement areas also joined the celebration. They sang birthday songs, made wishes and ate cake.

LHASA -- On the morning of Jan 7, just 10 minutes after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri county in Xizang autonomous region, Southwest China, drones were already surveying the site of the epicenter.

Less than 30 minutes after the disaster, the boots of the first rescue and relief teams had hit the ground running in the hardest-hit areas.

Ye Fang and Xu Lu, a newlywed couple from Anqing, Anhui province, have garnered widespread praise online for their courageous response during the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the Xizang autonomous region on Tuesday morning.

According to a report from Xinhua News Agency, on Jan 6, a day before the earthquake happened, the couple visited the base camp of Mount Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West, during their honeymoon and spent the night at a place about 40 kilometers away from the epicenter area, along with their travel guide Xia Bing.

BEIJING -- Panchen Rinpoche has prayed for areas affected by a 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Dingri county in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, killing at least 126 people.

Panchen Erdeni Chos-kyi rGyal-po, one of the most influential figures in Tibetan Buddhism, held prayer sessions during which he and fellow monks chanted scriptures and prayed that all lives in the disaster-stricken areas may soon be freed from calamities and rebuild their homes.

LHASA -- A memorial service was held on Monday to mourn the victims of the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Dingri county in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region last week.

At 9:30 am, hundreds of people, including government officials, rescue workers and local residents, attended the event in Chamco township, the worst-hit area. They took off their hats and stood in silence for three minutes in memory of the dead.

LHASA -- On Sunday morning, at a newly-built resettlement site in the earthquake-struck county of Dinggye, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, children were doing their homework inside warm makeshift houses, undisturbed by occasional jolts of aftershocks and the chilling winds howling through the Himalayas.

In neighboring Dingri county, Tsering Pingtso, Party chief of Gurum village, told Xinhua that he no longer worries about his villagers, as all of 107 people in the quake-hit village had moved from tents to makeshift houses by Friday, three days after the earthquake.

LHASA -- At a resettlement site on Sunday, Tan Xiren handed out paintbrushes, drawing papers and candies to disaster-affected children from the earthquake-struck Qulho township of Dingri county, Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region.

Nyingma Dzong, a 6-year-old girl, was one of the over 80 children at the site. She drew a small tent, a red heart, a sun and herself. Then, she tentatively wrote "Come on Xizang" and "Come on Dingri" in Chinese on the paper.

All tents and makeshift houses inhabited by residents affected by the earthquake in Dingri county, Xizang autonomous region, were provided with a stable power supply by Saturday afternoon, according to the State Grid Xizang Electric Power Co.

A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Southwest China's Xizang on Tuesday morning, killing 126 people and injuring 337 others. The quake's epicenter was located in Tsogo township of Dingri county in the city of Shigatse.

Channels for transporting relief materials free of charge to earthquake affected areas in Xizang autonomous region and Qinghai province have been launched by China Eastern Airlines immediately starting Jan 9, the Shanghai-based carrier said.

All the emergency relief materials to areas hit by recent earthquakes in Xizang and Qinghai would be transported via the green transportation channels created by China Eastern free of charge. China Eastern vowed to spare no efforts to provide support in transporting relief materials rapidly and safely to the earthquake devastated areas. A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Dingri county in the Xizang autonomous region on Tuesday, and a 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Maduo county in the Golog Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Northwest China's Qinghai province on Wednesday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).

Ma Xiaohu's hand-pulled noodle — or lamian— restaurant in Lhaze county, Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, shook violently after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Dingri county, the epicenter, about 88 kilometers away on Tuesday morning.

Ma packed his stoves, pots, flour, seasoning, thin noodles and bottled water and drove to the epicenter, believing that people in the earthquake-stricken area may need someone to cook for them.

Local doctors in the Xizang autonomous region are collaborating with colleagues sent from other areas around China to take care of patients following the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Dingri county, Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, on Tuesday morning.

As of 9 am on Thursday, 246 patients have been discharged, with another 91 receiving treatment, according to a news conference held on Thursday afternoon.

BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Commerce said Thursday that commerce departments are making all-out efforts to ensure the supply of daily necessities for local residents after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Dingri county in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region on Tuesday.

In a statement, the ministry said it has asked key suppliers to increase supply efforts. So far, 743,000 tonnes of daily necessities such as grain, cooking oil, meat and vegetables have been dispatched. An additional 2,000 tonnes of frozen pork, 1,600 tonnes of frozen beef and mutton, and 2,250 tonnes of compressed tea are ready for transport.

His face covered by dust and sweat, his fingernails bloodied and dirty, police officer Dondrub Tsering dug through the debris of fallen buildings with his bare hands to hunt for survivors after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit Dingri county in the Xizang autonomous region on Tuesday morning.

The police officer and his colleagues arrived at one of the worst hit villages within half an hour of the quake. By sunset, they had dug out 17 survivors. By 10 am the next morning, 407 people had been rescued from the area, local authorities said.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, presided over a meeting of the nation's top leadership on Thursday to study and arrange concrete steps for quake relief in the Xizang autonomous region.

The meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee came after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit Dingri county in Shigatse on Tuesday. The disaster has left 126 people dead and 337 injured. It also toppled more than 3,600 houses.

LHASA -- A total of 1,211 aftershocks had been detected as of 3 pm Thursday after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri county in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region on Tuesday, local authorities said.

The largest aftershock had a magnitude of 4.4, and occurred about 18 kilometers from the epicenter of the 6.8-magnitude earthquake, according to the regional earthquake bureau. The bureau also noted that 33 of the aftershocks had a magnitude of over 3.

The deadly 6.8 magnitude earthquake that jolted Dingri county of Shigatse in the Xizang autonomous region on Tuesday happened following a northward compression from the Indian Ocean plate and crustal movement, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.

The quake's epicenter is located in the Lhasa block in the southern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the center stated. It happened because of extensional rupture and represented an energy release event within the Lhasa block, it said.

Since 1950, 21 earthquakes above magnitude 6 have happened in the Lhasa block, with a maximum magnitude of 6.9, it said.

China had received messages of condolence in various forms from the leaders of 22 countries as of Wednesday morning regarding the deadly magnitude 6.8 earthquake that jolted Dingri county of Shigatse in the Xizang autonomous region on Tuesday.

The countries are Russia, Pakistan, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Maldives, Japan, Cuba, Venezuela, Serbia, Belarus, Spain, Italy, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Oman, Grenada, El Salvador and Uzbekistan.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a news briefing in Beijing on Wednesday that China also received expressions of sympathy from the foreign ministries of countries including India, Brazil, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, Bahrain and Iran.

In the wake of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Dingri county in the Xizang autonomous region on Tuesday, China has launched a comprehensive and rapid response to ensure the timely delivery of aid and the restoration of critical infrastructure.

The Ministry of Transport immediately activated emergency protocols to clear damaged roads and coordinate relief efforts, while Air China played a key role in providing airlift support to the region, ensuring that essential personnel and supplies reached the hardest-hit areas without delay.

Steam rising from pots simmering over fires and the cold breath of people huddled together in front of tents at -16 C gave the semblance of life returning to normal in Dingri on Wednesday, a day after the county in Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, was struck by a magnitude 6.8 earthquake.

Children waited in line for a meal of eggs outside the temporary shelters, while older people tried to put to rest the memories of the disaster, which reduced more than 3,600 houses to rubble, claimed 126 lives and injured many more.

The focus of disaster-relief work after the recent 6.8-magnitude earthquake at Dingri county of Shigatse, Xizang autonomous region, has been shifted to relocating affected residents and conducting after-disaster reconstruction, said Hong Li, director of the Xizang Emergency Management Department, at a news conference held in Shigatse on Wednesday afternoon.

He said intensified work would also be conducted in treating the injured, recovering damaged facilities, monitoring aftershocks and preventing secondary disasters.

A total of 407 trapped individuals have been rescued. Around 46,500 people affected by the earthquake have been transferred to 187 resettlement sites. The 484 tourists at the county have all gone to the city as of Wednesday noon with no injuries, he said.

LHASA -- No geological disasters, such as avalanches, have been observed so far on Mount Qomolangma, the world's highest peak, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Dingri county in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region on Tuesday, scientists said.

Casualties and house collapses have been reported in Dingri, which is home to the northern base camp of Mount Qomolangma.

In the wake of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Dingri county in the Xizang autonomous region on Tuesday, China launched a comprehensive and rapid response to ensure the timely delivery of aid and restore critical infrastructure.

The Ministry of Transport immediately activated emergency protocols to clear damaged roads and coordinate relief efforts, while Air China played a key role in providing airlift support to the region, ensuring essential personnel and supplies reached the hardest-hit areas without delay.

By Wednesday morning, all seven affected national and provincial highways had been cleared, with transportation routes restored to facilitate emergency response. Although rural roads experienced varying degrees of damage, some critical sections in the area have been cleared, enabling emergency vehicles to pass freely, the ministry said.

LHASA -- Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing has stressed all-out efforts to rescue and treat the injured after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted the Xizang autonomous region.

Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, underscored the importance of ensuring that the disaster-stricken people stay safe and warm this winter.

The Shigatse detachment of the Xizang Armed Police Corps has been racing against time to set up cotton tents in areas affected by the earthquake in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, to ensure a warm winter for quake-affected people, CCTV News reported.

The quake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck Dingri county in Shigatse, at 9:05 am on Tuesday, with the death toll of 126 and 188 injuries as of 7 pm.

No safety hazards have been identified in both natural and man-made water bodies near the epicenter of the deadly 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Dingri county of Shigatse in the Xizang autonomous region, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

Following the quake at 9:05 am on Tuesday, the ministry activated a Level Ⅳ emergency response, the lowest in a four-tier system in the country and promptly conducted screening operations to assess water bodies and water management facilities in the vicinity of the epicenter, a release issued by the ministry on Wednesday said.

While expert officials were deployed to comb through all areas where secondary disasters may happen, satellite remote sensing images were employed to analyze the potential adverse effects resulting from the seismic event, the ministry stated.

The Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport has arranged express passage to personnel and freight transport involved in the rescue and relief work following the earthquake in the Xizang autonomous region.

A magnitude-6.8 earthquake jolted Dingri county of Shigatse in Xizang on Tuesday.

For flights specifically designated for earthquake rescue and relief efforts, the airport management has decided to reduce or exempt certain costs or expenses associated with these flights.

A 13-member medical team from Shanghai took off early Wednesday morning with 7.45 tons of supplies, heading to the epicenter at Dingri county of Shigatse in the Xizang autonomous region to assist with quake rescue efforts following the deadly 6.8-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday.

Departing from the Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on a China Eastern Airlines' flight at 7:00 am, the team consists of 13 experts and medical workers from the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Huashan Hospital Affiliated with Fudan University. They are specialized in orthopedics, intensive care, anesthesiology and neurosurgery, and are set to treat injured persons upon arrival.

Shanghai has been providing paired-up assistance for Shigatse since 1995 and is making prompt responses in offering timely and efficient aid to the region after the earthquake.

A total of 407 people have been rescued from debris after a magnitude 6.8 earthquake jolted Dingri county of Shigatse in the Xizang autonomous region on Tuesday, according to local authorities.

The Xizang autonomous region emergency response headquarters said a total of 14,668 emergency response personnel are participating in rescue and disaster relief works.